Winter weather is here: Plan ahead!

I recently met with a Syracuse University alumna a few weeks ago when she was on campus for Orange Central, SU's homecoming celebration. She is currently looking for a job and has put in lots of time networking, and applying and interviewing for positions. She's a diligent worker who thoroughly prepares for each step of her job hunt, but in spite of all her planning, she was recently caught off guard by an interview in New York City that was scheduled for the day after Hurricane Sandy made landfall.

Of course, when the HR coordinator initially reached out to schedule the interview more than a week in advance, no one realized how severe the conditions would be on that day. By the time the weather reports began to show that Sandy would be a serious weather event, my alumna was unable to reach the coordinator and, not wanting to hurt her chances for getting the position, she traveled into the city (luckily just from Brooklyn) and found the building to be locked. What a bust.

Her experience made me think about how weather here in Syracuse (which we all know can be erratic) affects the job searching process: When winter or severe conditions may be a factor, what should you do?

First, make sure that you broach the subject with the person setting up your interview. We hope we won't have to deal with anything like Hurricane Sandy in the near future, but snow may certainly be an issue. When you are contacted to come in for an interview during wintry months, it is appropriate to note you want be prepared in case of bad weather. Ask if there is someone you can contact the day before or morning of your interview if the weather is particularly severe.

Since Syracuse's winter weather has conditioned most of us to be able to get around with inches (if not feet) of snow on the roads, the company may not close and you may still be expected to come in to interview. To plan for this, make sure you know two routes to get to your interview location, preferably including one that does not require the use of highways. Having this information at hand will allow you to get in, however slowly, with time to spare.

Snow, ice and cold temperatures will also have an impact on what you wear. If you are interviewing for a position at a company that would require at least business casual apparel, you should still dress accordingly. Women can certainly swap skirts and dresses for pants, and with lots of snow on the ground, it is not inappropriate to wear boots into your interview location and change into more professional footwear once inside. Most offices will have an area for coats where you can also leave your boots.

Lastly, you should review parking options: If the company does not have a garage or designated lot for you to park in, be sure you know where you can park nearby if street parking won't be an option. It is also ok to ask your interview coordinator for tips on parking and directions when you are setting up the interview. Thinking ahead will reflect positively on you, as will showing up on time the day of your interview, in spite of any obstacles that winter weather may have thrown at you.

Kelly J. Brown is a Job Advice blogger for syracuse.com and is currently director of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Career Development Center at Syracuse University. Click here to find job listings in Central New York.